Thousands Protest Trump's Refugee Ban At Sea-Tac Airport: UPDATE

SEATAC, WA - A large number of protesters converged on Sea-Tac Airport Saturday night to protest an executive order signed Friday by President Donald Trump that bans immigrants and refugees from the entering the U.S. from seven countries. There were up to six people detained or turned away at Sea-Tac due to the executive order, among others at airports across the U.S., according to reports.

Protesters began gathering at the airport around 5 p.m. Saturday, converging at the south end of the arrivals terminal. By 9 p.m., estimates placed the crowd at over 1,000, and they were able to shut down some operations at the airport.

After midnight, the crowd had dwindled significantly, and police moved to push them out of the airport. Officers dressed in riot gear reportedly moved the remaining protest to the hourly parking garage, and deployed tear gas in the process. A number of protesters were handcuffed with zip ties and detained.

At its height, the protest appeared peaceful. Although there were some scuffles, according to reports, between protesters and arriving passengers. Some protesters were blocking security lines, forcing travelers to find other ways to their flights.

Judges around the U.S. - including one in Seattle - made emergency rulings against Trump's executive order, but some travelers to the U.S. had already been affected.

Also on Saturday, Gov. Jay Inslee held a press conference at Sea-Tac pushing back on Trump's order, comparing it to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

The Seattle Times reported that local resident Ibado Ahmed was at the airport to pick up her husband, who was coming to Seattle from Somalia. He was turned away and sent back to Germany, where his flight had originated from. Of the six who were held up at Sea-Tac because of the executive order, two were released and four were sent back to where they traveled from.

Port of Seattle commissioners released a joint statement on Saturday expressing disapproval of Trump's order. The commissioners say the order was abrupt, and didn't leave room for preparation.

"As the operators of this airport, we are deeply concerned that the abrupt nature of the executive order did not allow adequate process for public agencies such as ourselves to provide service that travelers and families expect and deserve," the statement read. "We took it upon ourselves to request a full briefing from Customs and Border Protection to understand how they are addressing this situation. We respect these hard working federal employees who are under tremendous strain. However, when we felt that traveler needs were not fully met, the Port of Seattle stepped up. We started providing private waiting areas for families here at the airport and connecting families to lawyers who can help advocate for their rights and the rights of their loved ones.

“We met with some individuals who are impacted by this executive order. One of the impacted families happens to live right here in this community, and happens to be employed by this airport. We will continue to stand with you," the statement concluded.

Sea-Tac provided a conference room for families affected by the ban.

Earlier on Saturday, there was outrage that some Sound Transit light rail trains were skipping the Sea-Tac stop. Transportation leaders are set to meet on Monday to discuss how to handle such situations in the future.

Image via Sea-Tac Airport